


Freedom

by Aria6



Series: A Coyote's Stories [25]
Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different Powers, M/M, Reimagining of Starrk and Lilynette's pasts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-14
Updated: 2015-02-14
Packaged: 2018-03-12 19:37:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3352883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aria6/pseuds/Aria6





	1. Chapter 1

"I really wish I wasn't a virgin right now." Starrk closed his eyes, wishing he could block out his sister's voice. "But you're wishing you hadn't beaten the crap out of that guy who tried to – "

"I was thirteen! And you're twelve. Shut up." He growled. "I regret nothing." The thought of being touched intimately by that disgusting bastard made him sick. And the thought of someone defiling his little sister enraged him. She scowled over her shoulder at him, unrepentant.

"Well I do! I'm only twelve!" She said and he slumped in his ropes, feeling the coarse fibers biting into his skin. "And you're nineteen! Why didn't you find a girl to fuck?"

"I… seriously, shut up." He wasn't about to explain to his little sister that he preferred men. It was meaningless anyway, at this point.

The two of them were tied together, back and back, waiting for the priests to finish the preparations. Starrk closed his eyes, trying to find calm. In retrospect, he should have suspected something when the two of them were chosen to be temple slaves. It was a somewhat exalted position, for a slave. Plenty of food and light work, along with the possibility of being freed and made into a novice, if spiritual power became evident. However, he and Lilinette were mongrels. Their mother was a woman of the old beast clans, a camp whore for the army. Their fathers were unknown and their mother had died when they were very young. Starrk could hardly remember her face, anymore.

He'd tried to steal to keep himself and Lilinette fed, but they were eventually snapped up and sold into slavery. That was when the temple had taken them. If Starrk had known what the priests had in mind, he would have tried much harder to escape. But regular meals, light work and the possibility of eventually becoming a priest had been appealing.

 _So many things that will never happen._ Starrk looked up as one of the priests came to examine them. He looked at them like they were livestock, not human beings. There was nothing in his eyes but cold calculation.

"The man first." He pronounced and Lilinette sniffled as the temple guards behind him stepped up, one to either side. They cut him free of Lilinette, then lifted him. His feet were tied together, to prevent any escape attempts. He could not walk. They half carried, half dragged him to the altar that had been erected on the barely broken construction ground. Eventually, a new temple would be built here.

He was forced to his knees in front of the altar and a bowl of burning herbs was pressed to his lips. At first Starrk tried to refuse, for no real reason but spite. He didn't want to help the priests with their rituals. But then one of the guards pinched his nose closed and he had no choice but the breath the smoke.

It immediately went to his head and Starrk blinked, the world wobbling around him as the guards picked him up and placed him on the altar, face down. Oddly, his viewpoint seemed to shift until he was viewing himself from above. As it did, he was able to perceive something that astonished him and filled him with wonder.

 _That was why they picked us._ Something about the herbs was opening him to the spiritual world and Starrk could see the power glowing beneath his own skin. He was every bit as strong or stronger than the priest who was putting a knee in his back and looping a golden rope around his neck. Lilinette was not as bright, but still very strong. Vaguely, he was aware of the pressure and pain, the panic as his air was cut off. He could see the pained grimace on his own face as the cord continued to tighten and the way his face smoothed out as consciousness fled.

As he fell into death, Starrk felt himself drawn back to his body, to a strange, empty void. He could vaguely feel small items being pressed to his skin, filled with power that burned and froze at the same time. Yet, the pain was distant compared to the sound of Lilinette's soft sobbing. That was the last thing he heard, as his body was placed in the grave that had already been prepared for it.

_I'm so sorry Lilinette._

* * *

It took some time, but the two ghosts freed themselves from their graves.

It was what they were meant to do and by the time they had forced their way past the first seal, they had changed. The magical bindings had been designed to wear away their humanity, transform them into something far more dangerous than a mere plus soul. So when they emerged, there were holes in their bodies and strange bones where no bones should be.

However, they were not true hollows. If they had been, they would have quickly starved to death and been no use at all. No, Starrk and Lilinette had been transformed into something that was like a hollow yet also a bit like a shinigami. They knew nothing of that, of course. All they knew was what the other bindings told them, and it was cause for despair.

They were temple guardians. Bound to their burial site, they would have to defend the new temple from any spiritual threats. And they did. No ghosts could get near them, no hollows could pass. More interesting attacks, like dream walking strangers, were also soundly destroyed. Starrk and Lilinette had no choice. It was what they were bound to do.

Some of the priests could see them but they had absolutely no desire to speak to their murderers. Starrk and Lilinette took to hanging out in the gardens, just enjoying the flowers and other blooms. They would often play in the grasses, chasing each other in an endless game of tag. And why not? They might be dead, but it didn't mean they should be unhappy.

Gradually, time passed. They both had no idea of how long. But eventually, destruction came to the temple. Starrk and Lilinette watched with interest as strangers armed with swords and crossbows tore the place apart and killed most of the priests, stealing their gold and jewels. They were bound to protect the temple from spiritual threats, not physical ones, so they did nothing but watch. Well, Lilinette jeered and laughed quite a bit. Starrk just smiled.

That didn't free them, though. They were still bound to their graves and the area surrounding them. So they continued their play, this time completely alone. It wasn't really any kind of difference.

Gradually, though, things changed. Buildings rose in the distance. Then the buildings gradually grew closer and closer. Eventually, building happened on the ground they were buried in… or rather, they tried. Starrk and Lilinette watched in fascination as every building they tried to erect on that particular plot had horrible problems. Eventually the humans… well, they didn't figure it out. They just got lucky and built a building that didn't happen to be directly on the burial plots. Those plots became part of a garden, just as they had been for the priests.

What was built was a beautiful manor house. The people living there had spiritual guardians, although they didn't know it. Starrk and Lilinette observed them closely and soon became fond of the children. They were a noble family and this was their home, still shiny and new.

In many ways, this was a good time for Starrk and Lilinette. No one could see them but that let them pry into things. The children were learning to read and write and Starrk, especially, found it fascinating. He sat in on all their lessons and encouraged Lilinette to do the same. When the family was safely in bed, they both practiced their own reading and writing. The reading was easy to clean up after – just put the books away – but the writing was a bit trickier. Several times, papers with their scrawls were found. But the family had many servants and it was easy to dismiss.

Eventually, things changed. The children grew up and left the house. Then the manor was passed on to the eldest son, who came to live there and brought his family. The home continued passing hands for several generations, before it was owned by an old woman without children. She left it to her relatives but when they came to see it, they brought a realtor. Starrk and Lilinette listened as they talked about selling it.

For a time, things were quite boring. The manor stood empty as strangers looked at it and the grounds. Some spoke of tearing it down and building a shopping plaza, which made Starrk and Lilinette exchange glances. While they wouldn't mind, exactly – what would they see in such a place? – their burial plots would be a huge issue. They didn't really want these people to suffer misfortune. Yet, there was nothing they could do, no warning they could give. Or was there?

Lilinette was the one who thought to leave a note for the realtor. Starrk was the one who thought of putting up stakes, delineating the area that was unsafe. The next day they spotted the realtor examining the stakes with a frown. They weren't sure if she took them seriously – she didn't discuss it where they could hear – but the house was finally sold to someone who didn't want to tear it down.

The mansion was very large and the new buyers turned out to be Buddhist monks. They repurposed the place to be a monastery, which amused the two guardian ghosts. The land was a temple again, although a very different type. These peaceful men would never have resorted to such bloody sacrifices.

For a time, everything was very peaceful. But then things began changing again.

"I don't like this. I don't like it at all." Starrk muttered, examining the ground in front of him. He was well outside the monastery. The area they were bound to protect did not follow the building exactly. Until now, though, the irregular area had only included portions of some surrounding homes and shops.

"Hey, it means we can go further, right?" Lilinette said and Starrk grimaced, running a hand through his hair.

"Yes but…" Their area was expanding. Many nearby houses were included now. "Why is this happening?" Starrk said under his breath, glancing back at their burial plots. He could see the energies clearly now, just as he had before his death. "The power is increasing, but why?" Their burial plot glowed with spiritual energy. It always had but now it was stronger, much stronger. Starrk honestly feared it. How far could it go? Lilinette shrugged.

"Nothin' we can do." Was her opinion and he nodded grimly. They could only see to their new territory.

That was tragic for them. In the old times, any spiritual wanderers into the temple typically meant it ill. Starrk and Lilinette had no desire to help the priests but also didn't regret the deaths.

The spiritual forces that swirled around now, though, had no idea. Starrk and Lilinette didn't know that their blade was purifying the ghosts and hollows who came too close. They just knew they were killing, over and over. And it got worse when a stranger in black robes attacked them. He died very easily, not understanding the power he was facing.

After that, the strangers in black robes became more common. Two more fell to them before a more powerful one, a woman, tried to kill them. However, she was very fortunate. She was strong enough to withstand their initial attack and Starrk knocked her outside of their area, not by accident. He could at least direct his attacks, even if he was bound to strike with full force. The two guardian spirits watched as she pulled herself from the ruins of a building, coughing and shaking. She saw them watching her and raised her sword, summoning another ice attack. Starrk and Lilinette just retreated. As long as she was outside their territory, they did not want to fight. She did not follow.

After that, though, another stranger came. This one had long white hair and fought them with skill much greater than the others. Starrk had to fight hard, dredging up every bit of skill he owned. While the two guardian spirits had never been formally trained, they had fought countless times and had developed their own technique.

They didn't talk to the stranger because he didn't speak to them. He did seem rather confused at the little girl, particularly when Starrk merged with her and began fighting with energy blasts, fired from his claws. Together, they took a form reminiscent of their mother's tribe… a powerful man covered in fur, shaggy and barbaric.

Starrk was being very careful not to damage the surrounding buildings. It was part of his binding, although he would have likely done it anyway. The stranger was not quite so mindful. The blast of blue Starrk directed at him absorbed and thrown back, to his shock. He managed to dodge because he was just that fast… but then realized it was going to hit a building that he knew housed a young family.

"No!" He leapt back into the path of the beam, taking it fully across the chest. It blasted him back and he put every bit of energy he had into not hitting the house, Lilinette helping him. He just barely managed to halt himself… just in time to see a sword heading for his head.

Then everything went dark.

* * *

That wasn't the end, of course.

It had never happened before but Starrk and Lilinette were unsurprised to find themselves forcing their way past the first seal again. When they were finally out, Lilinette was cursing profusely and Starrk was feeling frazzled. Getting past that seal was not very pleasant and it was definitely time consuming.

Well, by mortal standards at least. He and Lilinette were quite reassured to find that only a week had passed while they were trapping in their graves. That was nothing! As soon as they were free, though, they had to resume their duties. The binding commanded it.

For many months, nothing interesting happened. Then the woman in black came into their territory again and, yet again, Starrk knocked her out of the area. Lilinette laughed at the shocked look on her face and Starrk wondered what the white haired man would think, when she reported what had happened to her.

He didn't have to wait long to find out. He and Lilinette felt the familiar power, flanked by another, equally great power. Exchanging a resigned glance, they went out to meet the two. If the fight happened at the edge of their territory perhaps they could knock them out like the woman and avoid fighting further. It wasn't likely, but you never knew. And even if they failed, the monastery would at least be spared.

Starrk and Lilinette stopped on the edge of their territory, watching as the two strangers drew their swords. Lilinette picked her nose as Starrk crossed his arms, just waiting for them to attack or come closer. However, they did nothing. Waiting for him to make the first move?

"If you're waiting for us to attack, you will be waiting a very long time." Starrk said idly as Lilinette laughed. Despite their 'death', they had no intention of acting until they were forced to.

"No? But you attack everyone so mercilessly." The second man said. He was holding a long sword and a short sword in the ready position. That was threatening, but the rest of him made Starrk smile a little. Pink had not been a common color when he'd been alive. And the straw hat he was wearing was very… cute. Yes, cute. In fact he was cute in general –

"OI!" Starrk snapped out of his trance with a flinch as a very hard foot hit his thigh. "Stop thinking about balling him Starrk! I don't care if he's your type!"

"Lilinette!" He yelped, horrified. "I don't – you just – stop that!" He did NOT want to go into his sexuality with these two. Running a hand through his hair, he turned his attention back to the strangers in black. "You have not entered our territory. We are not bound to attack you until you do." The two of them exchanged a glance and Starrk could sense the disbelief and wariness in them both, although their faces showed very little sign.

"Really. You claim you are somehow being forced to attack shinigami?" The man with the hat asked and Starrk sighed. Lilinette was the one who answered.

"Shinigami? Death gods? You think highly of yourselves, don't you?" She said, amused. It was the first time they'd found out what the spirits in black called themselves. The man in pink just shrugged with a small smile, cautiously lowering his weapons. The man with white hair followed suit, frowning slightly. "Nah, not you guys in particular. We attack EVERYTHING spiritual. Ghosts, ghosts with holes, spirit walking shamans, you guys… doesn't matter. We kill them all because that's what we got to do." She shrugged and the man with white hair spoke.

"Why haven't we run into you until recently?" He asked and Starrk frowned as Lilinette grimaced. They both could guess the answer to that.

"Our territory has been expanding. We don't know why." Starrk said quietly. "It began perhaps three years ago. The power in our bindings is increasing and demanding that we patrol a larger area." Then he shrugged. "As the area grows, chances for contact increase. Until recently, our area was small." Now it was getting rather large.

"When Karakura town began becoming the Jureichi." The man with white hair muttered. Starrk had no idea what he was going on about. Jureichi? "Surely there is someone you must let pass?"

"Oh, yes." Starrk said bleakly and Lilinette scowled blackly. "The priests who bound us here. Fortunately, they no longer exist. They were all killed." He knew there was dark satisfaction, an echo of black hate in his voice and face. The two across from them certainly caught it and the man in pink pulled his hat down, shading his eyes as he spoke.

"This binding was not voluntary?" He asked and they both laughed. The sound was jagged and bitter, filled with ancient pain.

"FUCK no! We were child sacrifices." Lilinette said frankly as Starrk put a hand on her shoulder, holding her close. The man with white hair stared at her, horrified, as the man in pink just kept his hat over his eyes. "Starrk's my brother. We were slaves. They bound us here, made us like this. Temple guardians forever and ever."

"The temple was destroyed a very long time ago. No one remembers our people or the religions we followed. Yet, we remain." Starrk said sadly and the shinigami swallowed. The man in pink looked up then and Starrk felt a deep sadness. Because despite his attraction, he instinctively distrusted the man. Something about his eyes reminded him of the priests. Something cold and calculating, despite the surface of warmth.

"You will regenerate, if you're killed?" He asked and they both nodded. "Is there any way to free you?"

"Yes…" Starrk said slowly, watching the man carefully. He thought the way he'd phrased that had been deliberately meant to appeal to them. "However, I don't see how you could use it." They both waited and Starrk sighed before explaining. "We are bound to our graves. Our bodies are covered in runes, meant to bind us in place. Dig us up and remove the bindings, and we shall be free." Free to die. Starrk knew precisely what was going through their minds. He felt Lilinette's hand gripping his and knew she saw it, too.

But he kept his expression a little sad and very serious, not betraying his awareness. These two shinigami probably thought they were fooling him completely. They were both old and very subtle, but Starrk had observed such things before. And if he'd had any faith in the fairness of the world, it had been shattered by his death. He'd given the priests his trust and it had been the worst mistake of his life. He would not make such a mistake a second time.

"Yet you will attack us if we enter your area." The man in pink said and Starrk nodded. Then he was surprised as the stranger smiled cheerfully. "Hardly a problem! Can you meet us on the ground, down at… hmm, that intersection?" He pointed and Starrk followed his finger, confused. "In two days time?"

"I… yes, that's within our boundaries." He said, still confused. "But I will have to attack you." This made no sense. The man chuckled as the white haired man smiled.

"Oh, I don't think so! Just wait and see." He promised before vanishing in a burst of speed. The other shinigami followed and the two guardian spirits could only watch them go, mystified and confused.

These two were very strange.

* * *

"…" Starrk stared at the two men loitering under a lamppost. They were relaxed and chatting with each other. They had two more strapping young men with them, who looked tense and unsettled. They were carrying four sets of shovels.

"The hell is this?" Lilinette muttered and Starrk blinked, shaking his head.

"They have bodies of flesh?" He hazarded. Perhaps that was it. Priests often went dream walking, leaving their bodies behind. Still, he'd been sure the shinigami were entirely spiritual. A dream walking spirit had a distinct flavor that they lacked. Putting aside the strangeness, he and Lilinette went to greet them.

"Ah, there you are!" The man in… well, not pink at the moment, said. Right now he was dressed in blue jeans and a long sleeved, black sweater. Starrk looked at his hair, enjoying the sweep of the bang and the rugged handsomeness of his face. It was sad but Lilinette was right. This man was nearly his ideal in terms of masculine attractiveness. "Starrk, was it?"

"Yes. This is Lilinette." He gently rested a hand on her helmet before frowning. "What are your names?" He should at least know, even if he and Lilinette would be forced to kill them in the end. The more attractive one smiled at him winningly.

"I'm Kyoraku Shunsui. This is Ukitake Juushiro." He introduced his friend and Starrk examined him thoughtfully. Ukitake wasn't really his cup of tea… too slight and no beard. Still, he had kind eyes and a gentle smile. Yet there was also something watchful there. Starrk smiled back but inwardly sighed. He knew better than to trust them but it still hurt. "Will you show us the way?"

"Yeah, sure." Lilinette said and skipped off, Starrk following behind. It didn't take them long to lead the shinigami to the monastery. They were both a bit surprised to see the place they were breaking into, but asked no questions. Before too long the four of them were at the burial plot. There was a rather lovely bonsai tree planted over it. "Too bad about that tree but you gotta do what you gotta do, right?"

"Yes, sadly. How deeply are you buried?" Kyoraku asked but Starrk could only shrug. Lilinette was more informative.

"Who knows? D'you know how long it's been? Deep enough that the priests didn't have to be worried about scavengers getting at us, that's all I know." Lilinette said and Starrk nodded. The two young men were already digging, putting their backs into it. Their elders exchanged a glance before following.

It took most of the night, but they finally found the skeletons. The white haired man brought out Lilinette's first. The skeleton was oddly intact, staying together even as he lifted it out of the burial plot. Starrk and Lilinette both saw the sadness on his face as he set the small bones down on the ground.

"Now, you must remove the runes." Starrk said before offering the shinigami a small smile. "They are gold, by the way." And they were not small. Juushiro looked up at both of them, his eyes wide, and they could sense the sudden interest of the other diggers.

"Gold? Why?" He asked and Starrk and Lilinette both laughed.

"Because gold don't rust or tarnish. Gold is eternal and so are we." Lilinette told him and he swallowed before nodding. Then he gripped the small medallions and began removing them, one by one. There were many of them.

Then Shunsui found his body. Starrk turned to watch as the man lifted out the second skeleton, as oddly intact as the first. The one thing he truly noticed with the little pendant he'd worn around his neck, a broken wolf's tooth on a leather string. He'd have expected that to rot away but it hadn't, somehow. Reaching up, he touched the spiritual version. It had always stayed with him although they'd changed their spiritual clothing with the times. Kyoraku set the bones on the ground and began removing the golden seals, his expression set.

It wasn't long after that that everything went wrong for the shinigami. As soon as the two spirits were freed, Juushiro and Shunsui used soul candies to leave their gigai. They expected the two ghosts to be caught off guard, surprised by their treachery.

It was exactly the opposite. Starrk pounced during the brief moment of disorientation, as the souls left their bodies. He attacked Kyoraku and Lilinette distracted Ukitake. There was a brief flash of wide grey eyes, a series of blows that culminated in the shinigami ending up on the ground with a sword pressed very firmly against his throat.

"Drop your weapons or he dies." Starrk stated calmly, staring at the grimacing man under his sword. He would do it, although he would deeply regret it. He heard a sword hitting the ground. The other two shinigami had retreated, to his senses. They were still in their gigai and unimportant. "Lilinette?"

"Right! What should I do with them?" She asked and Starrk smiled, a slight curve of his lips.

"Throw them into the koi pond." That would take some time for the shinigami to retrieve their weapons. The man beneath him tried to smile and Starrk eased up a tiny bit, pulling back the tip of his sword. He didn't want to accidentally kill the man.

"How cruel of you, Starrk-san!" He said jokingly and Starrk lifted his eyebrows.

"No, cruel is attempting to kill us the instant we were free." He corrected. Then his voice became rough as his eyes narrowed. "Did you think we wouldn't see what you had in mind? You're just like the priests. Warm on the surface and cold beneath, looking at us like nothing but objects. Livestock." He said it with bitter anger and the shinigami beneath him swallowed. "Well, we are not _things_ to be disposed of as you will, Kyoraku Shunsui." Lilinette came back and he cautiously pulled his sword away. Then he turned aside, intending to leave.

"Wait! Where are you going to go?" Juushiro asked urgently and Starrk just looked at him for a moment before shrugging.

"Anywhere." He had no plans. Then the man in the kimono spoke, just as urgently.

"What will you do?" He asked and Lilinette laughed. The sound was young and free.

"Everything!" Starrk laughed as well and they both vanished in a burst of speed. Going nowhere and everywhere.

At last, they were free.


	2. Chapter 2

"Damn." Shunsui said whimsically, watching as their two subordinates searched the koi pond for their lost zanpakuto. Really, things like this were what minions were for. "Yama-jii is going to be quite upset with us." Not only had they failed to purify the dangerous hollows, they'd been completely bamboozled. Shunsui felt almost proud of them. When was the last time he'd been taken in so completely?

"Genryusai-sensai will be irritated." Juushiro agreed, looking almost relieved. Shunsui knew exactly why. Hollows normally never looked like children. Purifying a child one had sat ill with him, as necessary as it might be.

And it was necessary. As human-like as the two seemed, they were still hollows. They had holes and bones and had clearly demonstrated their power and willingness to kill. Well… perhaps not, if you believed their story of being bound. But Yamamoto didn't entirely believe it, not really. Shunsui reached into his pocket and pulled out a golden medallion, examining the surface. It was engraved with a rune, something he didn't recognize at all. And it was filled with spiritual power. How long had the spirits been bound here?

"Should we do anything with the bodies?" He asked, glancing back at the skeletons. Juushiro turned to look, his gaze falling on the smaller one. His shoulders slumped a bit at the sight of those little bones.

"Yes, let's rebury them." He said after a moment and Shunsui nodded. He wasn't willing to get wet, but he would show respect for the dead. The skeletons, when they touched them, suddenly began coming to pieces. They had to pick up the bones individually and drop them into the graves. Then they began refilling the plot. The monks would notice that someone had been digging but there was no help for that. "I wonder what they will do?"

"I doubt they even know." Shunsui really had no idea what the rogue spirits would be up to. Hopefully, it would be nothing too destructive. They were easily as strong as a taichou, which was a bit frightening. As he worked, he vaguely wondered if they would meet again. The sight of the man's face, his sad and thoughtful grey eyes, flashed through his mind. Shunsui shook his head and continued to work.

It didn't matter how attractive the man was. He was still a hollow.

* * *

For several years, Starrk and Lilinette did nothing and everything.

The two powerful ghosts wandered randomly, exploring the Living World. They hitched a ride on the top of the bullet train and made their way to Tokyo. They explored parks, watched movies, even sat in on some classes at Tokyo University. They went to Disneyland Tokyo and had fun grabbing empty spots on the rides, or even just holding onto them from the outside. They couldn't be hurt by a fall, after all. What was the harm in it?

They explored all over Japan, but did not leave the island. The two ghosts did not truly understand plane travel and it wasn't easy to observe, unlike the trains. Eventually, they made their way back to Karakura town. They'd had a great deal of fun but the ambient power was stronger there and it just felt right. Also, there was a much greater concentration of ghosts and other spirits there. While that could be troublesome – they had to avoid the shinigami – it meant there were spirits they could talk to. Starrk and Lilinette made a few friends among the ghosts before settling back in at the monastery, claiming an old storage room as their own.

"Oi, Starrk?" He froze in the act of perusing a magazine. Lilinette had gone off to steal some candy from the convenience store. They could eat and they enjoyed it, although they needed no sustenance. He'd thought it would take her much, much longer to get back. "I got some whoppers for you. Hey, what're you looking at?"

"Nothing!" He said too quickly and Lilinette's remaining eye narrowed as she picked up on the lie. She immediately dropped her candy and snatched the magazine out of his hands. "LILINETTE!" He tried to grab it back but she evaded him. As she did, the centerfold fell open.

"…Oh. Um." Lilinette looked at it for a long moment and Starrk put a hand over his face. "He's pretty hot. Hey, can I borrow this?" Starrk froze at the thought.

"No! That's so horribly wrong!" He tried to grab it from her and caught it. Soon they were fighting over the magazine and naturally, it shredded. "Damn it Lilinette! I stole that from the porn shop!"

"There's a porn shop!? Where?" She demanded and Starrk groaned. "Damnit Starrk! I'm never growing up and I was just hitting puberty when this happened! I wanna learn how to wank!"

"That requires teaching? Ow!" The broken magazine was slapped over his head. "Fine, I'll take you to the porn shop." He muttered. Honestly, things like this made Starrk almost glad they were dead. He didn't have to worry about his sister being used and abused by some dirtball of a boy. "You are such a trial." Really, how many brothers had to take their sisters to a porn shop? Starrk was willing to bet the answer was one and it was him. Lilinette scowled.

"Yeah? You're a pain in the ass too Starrk! It's still night, come on, let's go!" She dragged him off and Starrk sighed as he went.

How absolutely mortifying.

* * *

"This book is great."

"Don't tell me about it. Please." Starrk had no interest in the female body anyway. A book entitled 'everything a girl needs to know about sex' was absolutely not his thing. "…What is that?" The power he was sensing was… strange. Not ghost-without-a-hole, not shinigami, not anything he recognized. And as old as they were, that was unusual.

"Don't know, don't care." Lilinette was absorbed in her book. "Go find out if you're all interested. I'm staying here." They were in their little hideaway. Starrk rolled his eyes.

"Fine." Leaving the storage room, he ventured across the city, keeping his reiatsu carefully concealed. Once it had been part of his binding – the priests preferred to sucker enemies in – but now he had to do it himself. For Starrk and Lilinette, restraining their power was becoming habitual.

It almost let him sneak up on the person he was tracking. Almost, but not quite. Starrk watched in fascination as he saw a figure in white unleashing arrows – arrows? – on a ghost with a hole. It vanished and he blinked. Something about the vanishing seemed strange to him.

"Who's there?" Starrk blinked again as he realized the man in white had detected him. Well, a boy really. He was spiritually powerful and the immortal spirit was always in search of friends, so he slipped out cautiously. The stranger readied his bow before pausing with a frown. "…What are you?" His gaze lingered on Starrk's hole and bones before travelling up to his face. He hesitated for a moment before shrugging.

"There's no real name for what I am. Once, I was a temple guardian. Now I'm free." He said honestly. "What are you? Your power is different." Like nothing he'd ever seen or felt before. The boy frowned, reaching up to adjust his glasses. Starrk noticed his black hair looked very silky and felt a bit of attraction. Although overall, the other man was not his type.

"I am a Quincy." He said, which meant nothing to Starrk. He tilted his head before asking another question.

"Is that like a shinigami?" He asked innocently, hiding his own calculation. If these 'Quincy' were affiliated with the shinigami, he would leave immediately. The boy barked a short laugh. It sounded angry to the ghosts' ears.

"Hardly!" The young man regarded him thoughtfully for a moment. "Have you encountered shinigami?" He asked and Starrk had the sense that he was feeling him out. Well, perhaps it was time to lay his cards on the table.

"Yes. Two of them freed us from our bonds, so they could kill us." He said frankly and the boy frowned. "You see, as long as we were bound we would regenerate from any injuries, even death. They wanted to destroy us." Starrk allowed his anger to enter his voice and the young man across from him nodded slowly.

"I think perhaps we have something in common. The Quincy were almost eradicated by the shinigami. I'm one of the last." He said with more than a trace of bitterness in his voice. Starrk really wasn't too surprised. "I am Ishida Uryu. And you are?"

"Coyote Starrk. I also have a sister, Lilinette Gingerbuck." He said, feeling almost comfortable now. "I prefer to be called Starrk but she goes by Lilinette." It was a bit odd. Coyote was actually his given name but it had reminded people of their mongrel heritage, so he'd used Starrk. And Lilinette's last name came from the man their mother reckoned was likely her father. Starrk vaguely remembered him. His own father had never been part of his life and Lilinette's had died in battle before their mother had passed.

"Well, I'm glad to meet you. Although if I see you preying on any plus souls, I will not hesitate to destroy you." Ishida said and Starrk appreciated the honesty of it. He could tell the boy meant every word.

"Despite my hole, I do not need to feed." Starrk glanced down at the opening in his chest. He knew it must mean he was something like the ghosts with holes, but they all seemed mindless and desperate to feed on souls. Also, their bones were not the tiny little remnants he and Lilinette possessed. "As I said, I don't really know what I am." It was curious. Ishida shook his head.

"I couldn't tell you and I think it might be better not to introduce you to my father." He said and Starrk vaguely wondered what his father was like. "Well, it has been nice to meet you but I should be going home."

"Perhaps I will see you again." Starrk said politely as they parted ways.

Over the next year, he and Lilinette occasionally met Uryu. He was interested to find out that they could alter their spiritual clothing with just their thoughts, and suggested many things they could try. He also suggested that, perhaps, they could alter their power into different forms as well. That intrigued the two ghosts and they went into the woods to try it. That was what led them to shaping their energy into guns and wolves, rather than the simple beast-man they had been before. They invited Ishida one time and did a bit of cautious sparring. Cautious because they needed to keep their power muffled so the shinigami wouldn't notice.

When Grimmjow came to Karakura town, Starrk and Lilinette slept through the whole thing. They only heard about it when Uryu sought them out.

"There seem to be other hollows like you." The young man said and they both blinked, exchanging a surprised glance. "They're called arrancar. Would you be willing to be examined? My father has agreed to help."

"How did you learn about this? What is going on?" Starrk wondered and Ishida frowned for a moment, adjusting his glasses.

"It's rather a long story. If you would be willing to be examined while I tell it?" He said and Starrk considered it before nodding. It was Lilinette who put their thoughts into words.

"Yeah, we trust you." Uryu seemed honest and open to them, unlike the two shinigami they'd first encountered. Of course, he was very young. He did not yet know how cruel the world could be. Starrk wasn't concerned about his father, either. He didn't think any father would be cruel enough to kill his son's friends in front of him.

He almost revised that opinion when he met Ishida Ryuuken. The man seemed as cold as a midwinter's night, to the two guardian spirits. But Uryu reassured them and soon they were submitting to various scans. As Ryuuken worked, Uryu explained the situation. He started with Rukia and Soul Society, then Aizen and the Hogyoku.

"Wow, shinigami are awesome aren't they? I'm starting to hate those guys." Lilinette groused as Starrk shrugged fatalistically. "Come on Starrk, they're dicks! Just because you thought that one guy was really cute…"

"Stuff it Lilinette." Starrk said tiredly. "Must you always make fun of me for liking men? I don't mock you for being a child pervert." He said and she shoved him in the shoulder with a scowl.

"Ahem." They both immediately started behaving at Ryuuken's quiet reminder. He was really extremely intimidating. "Can you please tell me how you were formed, in the beginning?" They both exchanged a glance and Lilinette bit her lip as Starrk closed his eyes in pain.

"From the beginning?" He wished they could skip that part. But Ryuuken nodded, his expression firm. "…Very well." His tone emotionless, he detailed the circumstances of their deaths. They both saw Uryu swallow and a flicker of some emotion cross Ryuuken's face. It was gone too fast for them to read it, though. Then Starrk detailed how they forced their way from the first seal and emerged changed.

"Can you describe this seal to me, as well as you can?" The Quincy asked and Starrk and Lilinette did their best. It was actually rather good, since they'd experienced it twice as well as seeing it from the outside. "Intriguing. So it seems the Hogyoku is not required to create arrancar."

"What is an arrancar, exactly? We've always wondered what we are." Lilinette asked and Uryu did his best to explain. "Hueco Mundo? Could we go there and meet these guys?" There was hope in her voice but Starrk frowned as Uryu looked very troubled.

"I don't think that's a good idea." He said before either of the Quincy could speak. "Their leader is a rogue shinigami who clearly has the moral sense of a cow turd." The made Uryu blink and Ryuuken almost cracked a smile. "He would likely try to recruit us on pain of death." Starrk could definitely imagine it and didn't think it would go well. Lilinette scowled.

"Fuck that! …Will we be safe here?" She said in concern and Starrk smiled at her.

"I'm sure we are. The other shinigami will prevent him from coming for us, if he even knows about us." Starrk wondered if he did. All the shinigami might not have been informed about them. "We don't have to be part of this at all." He saw no real reason to become involved.

"My philosophy as well. I am only doing this for my son, and because he thinks you would be reluctant to be examined by the shinigami with the candy shop." Ryuuken said and Starrk grimaced as Lilinette laughed.

"We know that guy! He put out some Starrk-bait, it worked great." She said approvingly and he groaned, putting a hand to his forehead. "That really big dude with all the muscles was sunbathing and – "

"Lilinette! Stop telling them." He snapped at her, flustered. "You make me sound desperate." Although he was really. Plus souls were uninterested in sex and even if the hollows hadn't been too stupid, Starrk wasn't THAT desperate. All the other spiritually aware beings he'd met had either been uninterested or hostile, and that included Uryu. Starrk had cautiously felt him out before deciding he was not into men.

"Hey, it's nothing to be ashamed of. I'm feeling a bit desperate and I'm not even growing! That really pisses me off. Why am I a kid forever and ever?" She said and Starrk sighed, glancing at the two Quincy. Ryuuken was ignoring them, just checking his readings while Uryu was looking a bit pained.

"Because there is some mercy in the world – OW!" She'd just punched him right in the gut. "Lilinette." He protested mildly. She just made a small 'hmmphing' sound. Ryuuken looked up from his papers, gazing at them thoughtfully for a moment.

"I will need some time to analyze this. Could you come back in perhaps a week?" He asked and they immediately consented. They were curious to see what he would find.

The next week, Uryu began introducing them to some of his other friends. He pointedly excluded any true shinigami but soon Starrk and Lilinette knew Orihime, Sado, Keigo and a few others. The lesbian girl made Lilinette giggle and rendered Starrk slightly speechless. The main one they hadn't managed to meet was Kurosaki Ichigo, largely because of the shinigami he tended to hang out with. Starrk and Lilinette were not remotely interested in letting the shinigami know they were back in town.

It all became moot, though, when they got very unlucky.

"OK, lower me slowly… slowly…" Lilinette said and Starrk grimaced as he carefully gripped her ankles, lowering her through the dropped tile ceiling. Of course, in the real world such a ceiling could not support the weight of a mouse, let alone an arrancar. In the fantasy world of Lilinette's imagination, along with their power to fly, it worked.

This was a very expensive tea shop and Lilinette was in the process of stealing them some sweets. The two thieving spirits completely missed the group of girls watching the goings-on in a petrified fashion. Orihime knew who they were, of course. And she knew that Rangiku and Rukia weren't supposed to know. Alas, Rukia recognized them instantly.

"Them. I have to report this to Ukitake taichou!" She said, not quite under her breath. Inoue heard and quickly gestured to her.

"No, no! They're not with Aizen." She tried to reassure her friend, not knowing that Rukia was well aware of that. Her meetings with the temple guardians predated Aizen's plots by several years. "They're really quite friendly. Um… and nice… although they are stealing." She finished weakly as Lilinette managed to grab what she wanted… a fancy cream cheese danish with almond brittle topping and an elegant little marzipan and jam tart with real whipped cream. Then Starrk lifted her up and she vanished into the ceiling, which was carefully shoved back into place. The woman working the counter didn't notice a thing.

"Wait, you know them?" Rangiku asked. She knew nothing at all about the two arrancar. Rukia had been ordered to stay quiet about it and Shunsui and Juushiro were also not prone to babbling. Orihime tried valiantly to save the situation.

"Yes! It's such a sad story! They were just children when they were murdered and turned into arrancar ghosts." She said. Rukia was less than sympathetic. "They were forced to kill anyone who came intruded – "

"They killed three shinigami and tried to kill me twice. And Ukitake taichou." She interrupted and Rangiku frowned. Orihime wilted a little before rallying.

"They couldn't help it! The bindings made them. Now they're very sweet. They're good friends with Uryu and they've been letting Ryuuken examine them… he's given his information to Kisuke… please don't get them in trouble? Please?" Inoue pleaded with her friends, who exchanged a glance.

"I must speak to them and find out what they're doing here." Rukia said after a moment and Matsumoto giggled, startling them both. They stared at her and she smiled cheerfully.

"Stealing danishes and tarts." She said and Rukia glared as Inoue also giggled. But then, Rukia was the only one who had faced them in combat. To Rangiku, who had only seen Lilinette hanging from a ceiling by her ankles, they seemed less than threatening.

After that, Ichigo got an earful about the 'dangerous spirits', which his other friends had to struggle to counteract. Eventually, Uryu led them to the two ghosts. Or rather, tried to. They were inside the change rooms of a swimming pool. He had to fetch them out. When he did, Starrk was bright red and Lilinette was giggling wildly.

"What were you doing in the mens' change room?" Uryu asked severely when they were outside and Starrk just stuttered as Lilinette grinned.

"We plead the Fifth!" She said cheerfully as Starrk hid his face. "Hey that must be – OH SHIT!" She yelped and Starrk lifted his face to see Rukia glaring at them. "Run!"

"No, wait!" Ichigo yelped. Uryu had anticipated the problem, though, and Starrk and Lilinette both went down in a tangle as they were caught in a web of blue power. "…How did you do that?" Ichigo asked as Starrk whimpered something incoherent and Lilinette cursed. Uryu adjusted his glasses.

"I need a few secrets, Ichigo. She's not here to harm you." He assured the ghosts just as Starrk focused his power and began tearing free of their bonds. "They just want to talk to you."

"She's one of the shinigami who attacked us." Lilinette said warily. Rukia immediately bristled.

"Excuse me? YOU attacked ME!" She said sharply, which was true as far as it went. Starrk finished with the blue power and the two ghosts pulled themselves free. But they didn't flee. Their trust in Uryu went that far.

"Not because we wanted to." Starrk replied as she continued to glower. "You should know that." They'd made it clear to her taichou and besides… "We stopped attacking as soon as you were outside our area. Twice." Each time, she'd been allowed to flee. "Why don't we call it a wash?"

"I'm not sure why I would." Rukia muttered but Ichigo got in on things.

"Uryu says you're not really arrancar?" He asked and Starrk shrugged before nodding. Ryuuken had checked them over quite thoroughly and had deemed them a very odd form of plus soul. He had no real arrancar to compare them to but just judging from the spiritual energies he'd recorded during Grimmjow's attack, Starrk and Lilinette were not the same.

"His father says we're more shinigami in nature. Our swords act like zanpakuto, actually purifying hollows and giving ghosts a form of konso." That had been a bit of a relief to them. Rukia's eyes widened at the information, though.

"It's probably because we're single souls. We're not soul collections." Lilinette put in and Starrk nodded. "Never eaten a soul in our lives. We do look like arrancar, though, and we've definitely got the same abilities. We've just got shinigami ones too."

"Right. But who are you?" Starrk asked and Uryu stepped in, introducing them. "Oh, I've heard of you." Everyone had mentioned Kurosaki Ichigo.

"I want to know why I didn't know about you until now." Ichigo sounded mildly resentful and Starrk shrugged as Lilinette pointed at Rukia.

"Duh, because you hang out with her and everyone knows we're on the outs with the shinigami. Oh, tell your captain he's a dick!" She said, sticking out her tongue at Rukia. Rukia stuck hers out right back and Starrk chuckled softly, resting hand on Lilinette's helmet.

"Children." He said, amused, and both of them scowled at him. Then Ichigo spoke up again.

"What are you planning to do?" He asked, staring at the two arrancar. "Are you going to side with Aizen?" He asked suspiciously and Starrk yawned as Lilinette sneered. His smaller half answered.

"Yeah right! He sounds as trustworthy as a wind vane in a hurricane shaped like a rabbit." She said, which made Starrk and Uryu both smile. "Fuck that guy. We're just staying right here, playing around and spying on guys in change rooms –"

"Lilinette! Must you?" Starrk yelped, horrified. She scowled at him.

"Like they couldn't guess! What else would we be doing in there anyway?" She asked and Starrk couldn't think of an answer. It didn't help that everyone was sniggering at him. Even Rukia was smiling. "And as long as we're here he can't get at us. You shinigami are kind of protecting us." That was true. Any force strong enough to take on the two ghosts would also draw a great deal of attention, since they would not go quietly. Rukia frowned before nodding slightly.

"Very well. But we'll be watching you." She warned and Ichigo scowled at them. The two ghosts exchanged a resigned look. It seemed that Kurosaki Ichigo was not really going to be one of their friends. He was too invested in the shinigami beside him and wasn't willing to trust them at all. Still, they could live with that.

"If you leave us alone, we'll leave you alone. But tell your taichou and his friend that we do not want to see them again." Starrk said firmly, trying to ignore the ache in his chest. Why did he always feel it when he thought about that man in pink? It was very foolish.

Starrk did not believe in love at first sight. But sometimes, that nagging ache made him wonder.


	3. Chapter 3

"Hey look Starrk! It's Uryu, and I think he's looking for us!" Lilinette pointed as Starrk looked down curiously.

They were sitting on the roof of the monastery. By now, all their friends knew that going to the outside of the monastery and hanging around for a few minutes, fifteen at most, would call them out. If they were awake, at least. If they weren't nothing would rouse them. Grimmjow and his posse had proved that.

Today, though, they were awake and not doing anything in particular. Just watching the sunrise, early in the morning. They both floated down immediately, going to see their friend. It wasn't a school day and he was dressed in casual clothing.

"Would you like to come to Urahara's shop?" He came out with what he wanted immediately. They both exchanged a glance. They had been avoiding that place like the plague after the 'Starrk-bait' incident, as Lilinette enjoyed calling it. "I don't know if you're intending to join the final battle, but training against an arrancar would be valuable for us."

"Yes…" Starrk knew that was true. They could only do so much in the woods and Ishida had mentioned Urahara's training ground before.

"They won't fink us out to the shinigami?" Lilinette said suspiciously. They weren't sure if Rukia had told anyone about them or not, but no one had come for them so far. Perhaps all of Ichigo's friends had convinced her to stay quiet. Uryu laughed before shaking his head.

"Urahara's been banished. He has nothing to do with them." He assured them and Starrk whined slightly, hunching his shoulders. "…Is something wrong?" He could see that Starrk's reluctance was far more profound that Lilinette's. The little girl rolled her eyes.

"He's just ashamed and scared that he'll meet the guy he spied on. And he probably will. Get over it already!" She kicked Starrk in the shins and Uryu looked mildly pained.

"I think I would rather not know. But we're all meeting at the shoten. This way?" He said and the two spirits came along, one skipping happily and the other the picture of reluctance. This really was mortifying…

It became worse when they arrived.

"Ah! You again. I haven't gotten the details yet but I'm told you were not actually trying to attack my employees?" The man with the hat said with a smile and Starrk gave a good impression of trying to sink through the floor. It was Lilinette who responded with a laugh.

"Nah! He just got too close and lost his balance. Tell that guy with – oh, he's here!" She waved as the big man with the odd hairstyle stepped into the room. Starrk hid his face with one hand. "Starrk thinks you're really hot. You can screw him if you like."

"Lilinette! Must you always do that?" Starrk complained as Tessai looked mildly confused and Urahara started to titter. "And why do you assume I would be that easy? I'd at least need a cup of coffee."

"Oh god really? Well in that case I need a candy bar. Where's some dude with a van?" She said and Starrk stiffened in outrage as there were winces around them. "Hey, we were murdered because we were virgins! It's been HOW long and we STILL haven't gotten laid? I'm pissed!"

"Just… be quiet. Please. Were we here to practice?" Starrk said before speaking to the stranger with the cornrows. "Um… what is your name?" He really should know. Although he thought it was very unlikely the man would have sex with him.

"Tessai. And, for the record, I am not gay." He said with aplomb and Starrk sighed, sticking his hands in his pockets. Lilinette easily summed up his feelings.

"Story of his life. So where's this practice area?" She asked and they were shown to the basement. "HOLY CRAP! How'd you do this?!" Lilinette gaped as Starrk looked extremely impressed. The sight of the immense practice grounds buried beneath a simple shop… how could such a thing be accomplished?

The rest of the day passed pleasantly. They fought several opponents and soon proved that they were both powerful and deadly, but their technique was raw and unfinished. There was plenty for them to learn and they enjoyed every moment of it. Although…

"STARRK! You're not doing it right! Fight like you want to kill the funny hat guy!" Lilinette ordered and Starrk looked at his guns helplessly.

"But I don't WANT to kill him." He protested as he dodged another blast and replied with blasts from his gun. He enjoyed shaping their power this way… although in the other shape he felt more feral, more instinctively driven. Then Urahara spoke.

"Your weapons are right, Starrk-san. You are only getting away with this because of how powerful you are. If you fight, you must fight to kill." Starrk swallowed as Kisuke stared at him. It was quite intimidating. "You feel the intent of my sword. Why can you not respond the same way?"

"Because I have been forced to kill like a collared dog, bound and tied and lashed with whips." Starrk said bitterly and Lilinette sighed. Her exasperation was obvious.

"Yeah, yeah, get over it already! Go to our older shape. Maybe it's not as elegant but I'm more a part of you and you need some help." She ordered and Starrk hesitated before deciding to allow it. The guns vanished, along with his beautiful new clothing. It was replaced with rough homespun, the clothing he'd died in. His body became furred and bestial, his hands clawed and twisted.

It really did help. Lilinette was more innately vicious than her brother and that came out as he attacked. Urahara pulled no punches and it was a very good battle, as he taught the two arrancar how to stand against a powerful shinigami. That was something they needed. Starrk and Lilinette had no illusions about what the future might hold.

Eventually, they called a halt to the sparring for lunch. And several strangers had shown up… very odd strangers who felt like shinigami but also not. Starrk looked them over curiously as they energetically prepared a lunch of rice and beef.

"HEY! You got any pickled beets? I love pickled beets!" Lilinette said as she saw jars of pickled vegetables coming out. "Gimme gimme – OW! Starrk!" She rubbed her head where he had caught her hair.

"Be polite." He said sternly before smiling at the strangers. "I am Coyote Starrk and this is Lilinette Gingerbuck." Something about this group did not seem welcoming to him. Not unfriendly, exactly, but as if they viewed him as an outsider and that was not about to change. Still, he would try to be polite.

"I'm Hirako Shinji." The man with the blonde hair introduced himself. "This is Hiyori…" Soon they were all introduced and Starrk nodded politely as Lilinette repeated all the names, committing them to memory. "We're the Visored."

"You feel like shinigami but… different. What is a Visored?" Starrk asked and received a quick explanation of hollowfication, along with a bitter tirade from Hiyori about Aizen. However, all of them seemed to share her feelings for the man. "Ah, I see." Starrk didn't really have strong feelings about Aizen. Why should he? He'd never met the man. Although he did share one thread of animosity with the Vizard… against the shinigami.

As the day wore on, he and Lilinette got to spar against some of the Visored. They all thought it would be useful. It gave Starrk and Lilinette a taste of fighting powerful hollows, while the Visored got to see something close to an arrancar in action. Although it eventually raised a few questions.

"So. If you guys aren't gonna help Aizen, what are you gonna do?" The man with the odd smile, Hirako Shinji, asked them as they rested. Starrk considered the question before glancing at Lilinette. There was no help there, she was dozing, her head cushioned on a rock.

"I'm honestly not sure." Should they just sit the whole thing out? They could, but… "I suppose it depends on what others will do." The Visored waggled his eyebrows questioningly and Starrk tried to explain. "I mean, will Aizen threaten our friends? Karakura town? If he's just threatening the shinigami I really don't care. And what will our friends do? Kurosaki Ichigo is not really our friend but the others…" Starrk would consider Ishida his closest friend but Orihime and Chad were also up there. Keigo and the others a bit less so, but he still cared about them. And the entire town was dear to his heart. They'd lived with the monks for a very long time.

"Hmm, I see. I guess that makes sense." Shinji said before grinning. "If Aizen threatens Karakura town, we'll let you know!" Starrk nodded before decided to join Lilinette for a nap.

Eventually, the second attack on Karakura town came. And again, Starrk and Lilinette slept through it. They were reading comic books and occasionally bickering when they found out about it from a rather unusual source.

"…And I'm telling you Starrk, the Green Lantern would totally whoop Spider-man's ass!" Lilinette maintained as Starrk turned the page of his book.

"Mmm hmm. And how would Batman stack up in that little match up? And Aquaman?" Starrk asked vaguely as Orihime stepped into the room, through a wall. She smiled tearfully as she watched the two hollows in their little hideaway, so completely normal and happy.

"Aquaman? Are you serious? Can you spell cannon fodder? Oh hey Orihime!" Lilinette waved absently as Starrk continued to peruse his comic. Then they both looked up in surprise as Orihime's eyes went wide. "Hey, how'd you get in here?"

"I – I – I…" Inoue put a hand over her mouth, shocked almost speechless. Then she suddenly remembered what Ulquiorra had said… arrancar would be able to see her. And while Starrk and Lilinette might not be conventional arrancar, whatever they were was close enough. "Oh…!" Was this good or was it bad? She almost ran, but then she stayed. "H-Have you heard what has happened…?"

"Something happened? What?" Lilinette asked as Starrk frowned and put away his comic book. Orihime told them all about the attack by the Espada, to Lilinette's vast displeasure. "We slept through all of that? What the hell! We're the worst guardian spirits ever!"

"We became dependent on the wards to alert us." Starrk rubbed his beard with a frown. "Perhaps we should talk to Urahara about that. But how did you get in here? We have to get our items in through the window." That was a bit tricky for them. They could walk through walls, but anything they stole had to move in a normal fashion. There was no way a full sized human woman could have come through the window. Orihime sniffed before explaining about Ulquiorra and his blackmail of her. Then she showed them the bracelet she'd been given, that should have hid her from all her friends… except the ones Aizen and Ulquiorra were completely unaware of. Lilinette and Starrk both examined the bracelet thoughtfully.

"Guess it's a good thing we slept through everything. If that bastard knew about us he'd have come up with something different!" Lilinette said as Starrk nodded with a frown. "What do we do now?"

"There… there is nothing you can do. I can't put them in danger." Orihime said bravely but then blinked as Starrk favored her with a look of disbelief and Lilinette snorted.

"Orihime, that might put them out of danger for the present but not the future. Uryu WILL go after you." Starrk said firmly. He knew Ishida quite well by now and knew he was harboring a deep affection for the girl. "Kurosaki probably will too." Starrk just didn't know him as well but from what he'd heard he was willing to bet the redhead wouldn't be able to resist. "Also Sado and maybe even some of the others. If you go tamely with him, you will only postphone the confrontation."

"Which would totally be worth doing if you only had the guys who got the shit beat out of them." Lilinette said, cleaning out one ear with her finger. "But you've got us! We're fresh and ready to kick some ass! Why don't we shadow you going back and jump this guy?"

"I… do you think you can?" She asked hesitantly and Starrk smiled as Lilinette grinned.

"Even if we cannot defeat him, we can keep him far too busy to take any revenge on your friends. And a battle of that magnitude will easily draw shinigami attention. Then he will be forced to flee without you. It will work." Starrk said confidently, although there was one potential snag. "Hopefully we can flee the shinigami before they turn on us."

"Bastards." Lilinette muttered as Orihime looked stricken. "Hey, don't worry, we're good. We can hack it." She assured the girl, who swallowed before nodding. "Starrk, fight like you mean it!"

"I will." He pledged. Keeping Orihime and the others safe would motivate him well.

Things went almost exactly as they thought. Ulquiorra showed up to get Inoue and the two guardian spirits jumped him.

"DIE BASTARD!" Ulquiorra betrayed little emotion but he was both unhappy and baffled to be attacked by what looked like an extremely powerful arrancar. Of course, the spirit in question was wearing nothing like Aizen's uniform. And his guns were talking? "OH YEAH! DO IT STARRK!"

"I'm already doing it – ow!" Distraction was not what he needed against such an opponent and Starrk grunted as a small line of red appeared on his side. "Shut up!" He growled to his guns before unleashing a powerful cero.

Just as he'd anticipated, the strength of their squall set off every alarm in Soul Society. Soon Toshiro was back, with Hisagi for backup. Realizing that his mission was a complete failure, Ulquiorra favored Orihime with a scorching look before abandoning the Living World. Which, alas, meant that Toshiro attempted to attack the other arrancar present. Even as Starrk leapt away, though, a golden shield flashed into place and shattered the ice.

"Inoue?!" Hitsugaya questioned as Shuuhei readied his sword. Orihime began to speak rapidly.

"Oh, don't hurt them! They saved me, he was trying to kidnap me! They're the guardian spirits of Karakura town!" She appealed and Toshiro looked disbelieving. Hisagi frowned at them both as Starrk's weapons spoke.

"Yeah! Yeah, we are! That guy in pink and the white haired guy know about us!" She said which made Starrk hiss at her. "Don't tell me to shut up!" Then, in an undertone to her brother. "That other girl didn't know about us 'till midget told her. I bet these two don't know anything and it's _technically_ the truth." Kyoraku and Ukitake did know about them, after all. Starrk frowned at his guns but couldn't really fault her logic.

Particularly since it was working.

"Ukitake and Kyoraku? Why didn't they mention you to us?" Hitsugaya asked and Starrk shrugged helplessly as Lilinette continued to talk.

"We left for a while. We went to Disneyworld, it was great! But you know, we do belong here so we came back. We've been around FOREVER! Like, before there were Japanese people! We were from the old beast tribes." That clearly meant nothing to them. "Anyway, whatever. Hey, are any of you gay? Starrk's really gay and still a virgin."

"HEY!" Starrk banged his gun against his forehead, making her yelp. "Stop that! I don't need you pimping me out!"

"Hey, if it worked you'd – OW HEY MY BUTT! STOP IT STARRK AAAAHHH!" Starrk growled as he 'spanked' his gun. And it was not a metaphor. "THAT HURTS!"

"It's meant to. Stop being a brat." He said firmly before looking at the two shinigami. "I'll be staying awake and guarding the area until Kurosaki Ichigo recovers." That might be a marathon period without sleep, but he could do it. And no one would get past him. Toshiro frowned but nodded as Shuuhei looked a bit horrified by the spectacle. He wasn't the least bit interested in men.

"Tell the guy in pink Starrk thinks he might be in love – OWOWOW! It's the truth! You think he's your soulmate!"

"Shut. Up!" Starrk growled as Orihime smiled weakly. "Let me take you home." He said to her before gathering her up. The two shinigami let him go, a bit bemused by the encounter.

But it would definitely come up in the future.

* * *

"Ukitake. Kyoraku. In the future, please let me know about spiritual presences in Karakura town." Hitsugaya's reiatsu was icy with disapproval. The two targets of his ire had no idea what he was talking about. They'd just been playing a game of shogi when the young taichou had returned from his mission.

"Eh? What do you mean?" Shunsui asked, perplexed. Juushiro just looked rather bewildered. Toshiro glared at them both. He knew they were accomplished liars and didn't trust the innocent act.

"I am referring to the arrancar-like 'guardian spirit' of Karakura town. A young man with chestnut hair…" Toshiro gave a quick description and while the clothing was not the same, they got the gist. "His name was Starrk and he called his guns Lilinette."

"Guns?" That was different. Clearly they had undergone some changes. "Ah, my apologies! It is true we met them in Karakura town many years ago, but we thought they had left. We had no idea they had come back." Shunsui said with a charming smile and Juushiro nodded, a bit withdrawn. They exchanged a glance, remembering their orders to purify the two spirits. "We'll have to mention it to Yama-jii. But don't worry about it! I'm sure they're harmless." It was heartening that they seemed to be hostile to Aizen. But from what Toshiro had said, Orihime had known them. What was going on in Karakura town? Had the spirits made contact with the spiritual community there?

"Very well. But in the future, keep me informed." Hitsugaya said before leaving. They both waited for the feeling of his reiatsu to vanish before Ukitake spoke.

"What do you think Genryusai sensai will want us to do?" He asked and Shunsui looked at the game board, his mind far away.

"Probably nothing, for now. Aizen is rather more pressing." He said after a moment. "However, when we've finished with him… I'm not sure. It might depend on what they do." The spirits had already proved rather valuable in saving Inoue from kidnapping. What would Yama-jii decide to have done? He honestly hoped the two spirits would be allowed to exist. His mind went back to the young man with the chestnut hair and the haunting grey eyes.

Perhaps someday they would even meet again.


End file.
